Shinobido: Way Off, The Ninja

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Shinobido: Way Off, The Ninja

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Here's a random stealth action game that has never seen a US release.

Made by ex-Tenchu devs it shares a lot with their original work but takes the genre in an unusual direction. The main gimmick is a dynamic campaign in which three feudal lords try to take control of a small province. The player is free to choose clients and missions and complete them or fail them without the whole world collapsing. There are a few other gameplay mechanics in addition to sneaking around but we'll get to them later.
Shinobido's major problem is repetitiveness, so we'll have to make our own fun.

Days 0 and 1. Where people dress in black.
Days 2 and 3. The thong tribe.
Days 4, 5 and 6. A sushi, a lizard and a landmine.
Days 7, 8 and 9. Ichijo's feelings came with the letter.
Days 10, 11 and 12. Bear planking.
Days 13-16. Betrayal everywhere.
Days 17-20. Can you eat grass?
Days 21-26. Force-Feeding Failures.
Days 27-33. Nothing's Happening Digest #1.
Days 34-40. Big Boss Raiden.
Days 41-43. Too hot to handle.
Days 44-45. Ichijo's Hair.
Days 46-48. Water Wheel Wooing.
Days 49-52. Have my body as a reward.
Days 53-55. Balls!
Days 56-59. Potency medicine.
Days 60-61. The decision point.
Days 62-64. That was my sister, bear!
Days 65-68. Erasing Sadame's past.
Days 69-73. The taxidermist.
Days 74-78. One down.
Days 79-86. Nothing's Happening Digest #2.
Days 87-89. Bald old man.
The Final Hoedown.

Shinobido: Tales of The Ninja.
Red Ninja: End of Honor.

New Game + Hidden Ending Run
Days 1-40. Chaotic Neutral.
Days 41-49. True ninja...wins!

Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen.

SelenicMartian fucked around with this message at 15:30 on Aug 15, 2016

# ? Mar 21, 2016 06:33

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# ? May 16, 2025 22:16

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Days 0 and 1. Where people dress in black.

Shiobisee, Shinobido.

Do watch the second tutorial run.

Here are the two missions the engine cooked up:

quote:

injuries sustained during the battle. But your skills seem intact, as your infiltration of my castle has proved.

Utakata is on the brink of war. It is for this reason that I must make use of your skills once again.

I want you to find my spy in Negishi Pavilion and give them a letter containing instructions from me. But be careful; Sadame's men are in Negishi Pavilion. I've sealed the letter in a sturdy wooden box, but you must still guard it with your life.

My men will take care of searching for the stones you seek. I'm counting on you.

(Press the START button to accept the mission)

quote:

people -- who will gain control of Utakata.

Your loss of memory is no doubt all a part of the divine Amurita's plan. Please consider using this opportunity to join forces with me. You may not remeber it, but I always thought you were a force to be reckoned with.

My spies tell me that Ichijo's men are in Sengen Town. For all that talk about wanting to avoid a war, they certainly didn't waste any time in preparing for battle. I want you to launch a surprise attack on them. Wipe them all out. Of course, no one must connect this to me. I don't want to start a full-scale war just yet.

As for those stones you are searching for, I have already begun inquiries of my own. There are many members of the Amurita Faith who have close ties to this area... I await your response.

(Press the START button to accept the mission)

I'm taking one of them to get the game started for real.

Wrong man, wrong place.

Fresh mail:

quote:

I will be sending you letters containing useful information from time to time. Keep and eye out for them. And don't forget to take the ninja equipment and medicine in the hidden shelf.

One thing I forgot to mention: I am called Onji. Please just think of me as a concerned bystander, and do not worry about the details.

quote:

and use them to get information about the whereabouts of the soul fragments.

If you feel bound by past loyalties, you may choose Ichijo. Or perhaps you would rather choose the rich Akame, or even the long shot -- Sadame. You might even pretend to serve all three while waiting to see how the winds of war will blow.

At one time, that was the nature of ninja. Their loyalty was to their mission, and not to a particular lord. They put themselves first in their fight for survival.

In any case, I advise you to think long and hard about the choice you will make.

Onji

quote:

The best way to increase a lord's respect for you is to accept their missions. And you can also try sending them gifts that they might like. On the other hand, if you do something that one of the lords doesn't like, their respect for you will go down. However, if you're careful not to get found out, their opinion of you won't change. When you carry out missions like that, make sure nobody sees you. And if you do get spotted, make sure you take care of any witnesses. As long as you do that, the lord won't find out what you've done.

By the way, I've heard that ninja who let a lord's respect get to rock bottom can have a lot of trouble with them from that point on. I'm sure you'll be fine, but it wouldn't hurt to be careful.

Here are the six mission offers for today:

A:

quote:

don't lay a hand on my men.

I'm sure you can handle something of this calibre. Show a little effort.

quote:

Of course you must be careful of attackers who want to steal the documents, but I always want you to exercise adequate caution in your handling of them. If possible, it would be best that the enemy did not even know of their existence.

I'm sure you can handle something of this calibre. Show a little effort.

quote:

enough that you're heading toward me instead.

I can't wait to see how they react. This should be fun to watch.

quote:

If you should meet up with anyone trying to steal the documents, kill them immediately.

Are you sure you can handle this? Anyway, good luck.

quote:

Exactly the same description as for mission C, but replace "Ichijo" with "Akame".

quote:

I want you to deliver a slanderous letter about Akame to a certain merchant. The merchant will make several copies of it and send them all over. I can't wait.

I hear that Akame's men just happen to be in Negishi Pavilion, where the merchant is. This is a perfect opportunity to really upset Akame. Take care of it for me.

I've put a letter in a sturdy box, but you still have to be careful that you don't lose in or get it dirty.

You may not be equal to the job, but I'm not expecting a lot. Just give it a try.

Vote boldly in bold. I don't expect many votes but a general prod in some direction would be nice.

# ? Mar 21, 2016 06:34

nweismuller: Oct 11, 2012; They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

I say deliver documents for Ichijo. The chance for greater loyalty to our old lord has already passed us, but we should try and support him some nonetheless.

# ? Mar 21, 2016 10:34

Sessile: Feb 27, 2008

Obviously Crow and Ichijo have a deep history together, so we should butter him up first so he'll tell us more about ourself. And what does Ichijo love more than anything? Mushrooms of course! So let's steal mushrooms without the guards seeing us!

# ? Mar 21, 2016 10:41

a cartoon duck: Sep 5, 2011

We care more about our memory than the actual war, so let's play all three lords against each other and do D: Secretly deliver the documents.

The game may be repetitive, but what really sold me on it was the delightfully insane cast of characters, all while Crow tries to pretend the game's dead serious.

Also, one nice thing about the grappling hook is that you can use it instantly mid-jump, letting you get around quicker and reach high places surprisingly easy at times. I don't think I realised that my first time or two through the game, especially coming to this from Tenchu Wrath of Heaven where you had to manually aim your hookshot to get anywhere.

# ? Mar 21, 2016 11:04

radintorov: Feb 18, 2011

I'm going to vote B just because of the "help" Sadame sent. :v:

While Selenic pointed out some of the issues this game has, I have to praise the fact that once the guards have been alerted they remain in a semi-alert state: a lot of stealth games just have the guards revert to their previous normal state once the player has gone away for long enough without any gameplay penalties.

# ? Mar 21, 2016 13:06

RickVoid: Oct 21, 2010

Okay, so what I got from the second video is that Akame is somehow involved in the incident that lead to our memory/soul loss. You want to show off what happens when a Lord's trust hits rock bottom anyway, so I propose that we begin Operation gently caress That Guy by choosing Mission F. It also pays pretty well.

# ? Mar 21, 2016 13:38

Zanzibar Ham: Mar 17, 2009; You giving me the cold shoulder? How cruel.; Grimey Drawer

We need those mushrooms.

# ? Mar 21, 2016 13:43

marshmallow creep: Dec 10, 2008; I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

I just this last week saw an LP of this game that did 100% on very hard, and the strategy for almost every map seems to be to invest in bombs, throw them in a corner so everything on the map comes to investigate, then put them to sleep with knock out gas so you can stab them to death. Some missions were done in less than a minute that way.

And then there are missions where you can't do that and it gets interesting.

# ? Mar 21, 2016 22:24

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

The votes are in and...

Donald Trump is Miss Universe.

Wait...

AA
BB
D
F

So, for now we work for Ichijo but it's a toss between carrying boxes or gathering fungi. I'll just do two Ichijo missions.

Edit: Man, gently caress those mushrooms.

SelenicMartian fucked around with this message at 18:14 on Mar 23, 2016

# ? Mar 23, 2016 16:31

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Days 2 and 3. The thong tribe.

Harvester under attack.

Letters:

quote:

when in these dangerous places. Always have an escape plan that you can use in case you are discovered. If a large group of enemies finds you, don't be a hero -- run.

Being able to quickly analyse a situation and take the appropriate action is the mark of a truly skilled ninja.

Onji

quote:

no coincidence that people in Utakata bury their dead in wells.

Falling down to the underworld will result in your death, as you might expect. But this also holds true of your enemies. If you are careful, you can use the wells you your advantage.

Onji

quote:

I assume you know that the lords' armies are made up of the lord and his guards and several units of samurai who protect them. You must first defeat those samurai. Attack the funds, food and lower ranking warriors of the samurai units. Once you have weakened them in this way, assassinate the samurai general. Once you have defeated all of the samurai, you can attack the lord's men themselves. Weaken them in the same way and wait for your chance to attack.

But the enemy isn't likely to just sit back and let you kill them. While you're attacking them, your own side's army may run short of money or food, or other unforeseen events may occur. And if you wait too long, the enemy may recruit new soldiers to replace the old.

All of this will depend on how well you perform your missions. It's no exaggeration to say that the very future of Utakata is in your hands.

quote:

The upcoming story mission:

quote:

Shimoyashiki, so the stone should still be there. I hate to ask this of you, but I think the simplest way to get it back would be for you to go to Honcho Shimoyashiki yourself. Get it before someone else takes it.

Important vote here:

Introducing weapon blueprints. Sometimes lords spend cash on exclusive access to new weapons. Goh doesn't get them but at least some of that lord's troops will carry them in missions making our life harder.

The red balls are the difficulty rating.

A:

quote:

I can't have something so important stolen, and the enemy can't afford to let me have them, so you can see how crucial they are. I need you to act as a courier. You must make it through Dandala Peak.

You may not be equal to the job, but I'm not expecting a lot. Just give it a try.

quote:

I want you to attack the people transporting the Bow Designs and stop them from being delivered to Sadame. Steal the Bow Designs and bring them to me.

This might be a bit more than you can handle, but I don't expect much from you. Give it all you've got.

This mission is crazy hard, since its effectively timed, takes place on a cramped mountain road with bottomless pits everywhere and the courier is guarded by a small army. I might need to go shopping for tools.

C:

"The Cunning Plan" package:

1) Take Akame's mission to steal Sadame's blueprints;

2) Do not send the them to Akame;

3) Send them to Ichijo instead.

This will give the tech to Ichijo, boost his trust, but Goh will get no payment at all and Akame will be one step away from blowing his lid.

D:

"The Tactical Coward" package:

Same as C: but we don't send the prints anywhere and let them collect dust in out storage.

# ? Mar 25, 2016 04:28

Sessile: Feb 27, 2008

Gonna have to go with option B.
We haven't given Akame any love, nor have we chopped up any of Sadame's goons. I'm also really curious to see if Sadame loses her poo poo or if that's avoidable for thievery missions!

# ? Mar 25, 2016 05:40

Doopliss: Nov 3, 2012

B is where it's at. A lesser feudal lord would have made something up about having nothing to do with nearly killing us and inflicting amnesia on us, but Akame is above such petty scheming (or, more likely, he's just that cocksure). That shows integrity right there.

# ? Mar 26, 2016 00:57

radintorov: Feb 18, 2011

I'm going to vote for D: the less bows around, the better.

# ? Mar 26, 2016 22:26

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

D

Trying to enact universal disarmament through constant ninja shenanigans is the noblest of goals

# ? Mar 26, 2016 23:10

EasilyConfused: Nov 21, 2009; one strong toad

Holy poo poo the barbarians are amazing.

B

# ? Mar 27, 2016 13:35

Gideon020: Apr 23, 2011

I've heard that the Barbarians are based on nomads from China, Russia and other places who crossed the sea to Japan or at the very least are very primitive Japanese tribals.

# ? Mar 28, 2016 16:54

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Gideon020 posted:

I've heard that the Barbarians are based on nomads from China, Russia and other places who crossed the sea to Japan or at the very least are very primitive Japanese tribals.

Maybe in this universe the Mongols did invade... Wouldn't be too odd compared to the dead being buried in wells.

48 hours-ish to vote count.
It might be worth mentioning that every "[a lord] gets [a weapon]" event is a unique cutscene.

# ? Mar 28, 2016 18:20

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Count time:
BBB
DD

Goh will work for Akame for sport and definitely not for his enormous paycheck.

Ok, something you gotta see

SelenicMartian fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Mar 30, 2016

# ? Mar 30, 2016 16:24

marshmallow creep: Dec 10, 2008; I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

like a cat, is the ninja

# ? Mar 31, 2016 19:02

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Days 4, 5 and 6. A sushi, a lizard and a landmine.

Gardening for dummies.

10:42-10:45 - A guard eats the sushi. Noticed only in final editing.

Letters:

quote:

faces a strong enemy fights him using his secret ninja techniques and tools. That's where a ninja truly excels.

Even these opponents can't stand up to your deadly skills. Show them just how frightening a ninja can be.

quote:

to find them now without the help of one of the lords.

Pay attention to their letters as you complete your missions. If you get any information about the location of a soul fragment, try looking for missions that might be related.

Onji

quote:

Job vote!

A:

quote:

Without food, a soldier's morale suffers. And I can just imagine Sadame's face when they hear the news. Bring the stolen rice to me.

This may be a heavier load than you can carry. Well, anyway, do what you can.

quote:

I know it's a bother during such busy times, but protecting the livelihood of the people is my most important job. I'm going to mop them all up at once this time. Crow, could you do that?

I don't want one savage left alive.

It's for the cause. Show no mercy.

This may be a heavier load than you can carry. Well, anyway, do what you can.

quote:

Of course, someone in my position can't be seen quibbling over something like that. I'd like you to go to Naritaya in Negishi Pavilion and take back the text. Naritaya apparently has connections to Sadame, so make sure you do it in secret.

So how about it? You can handle it, can you?

quote:

# ? Apr 1, 2016 11:25

Zanzibar Ham: Mar 17, 2009; You giving me the cold shoulder? How cruel.; Grimey Drawer

They stole your mushroom, and for that they must die.

B

# ? Apr 1, 2016 13:28

radintorov: Feb 18, 2011

Zanzibar Ham posted:

They stole your mushroom, and for that they must die.

B

Agreed. Voting B.

# ? Apr 1, 2016 16:14

Sessile: Feb 27, 2008

Suffer not a mushroom thief to live.

B

# ? Apr 1, 2016 16:29

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

You're mad! 48 more hours to counter-vote for Goh not going to Dandala Peak again.

LP curse in action: SA is blocked in my country now, and my phone line is under repairs. But ninjas have their ways.

# ? Apr 4, 2016 16:22

Sessile: Feb 27, 2008

SelenicMartian posted:

LP curse in action: SA is blocked in my country now, and my phone line is under repairs.

And they say that governments only act to protect themselves.

# ? Apr 4, 2016 22:29

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Welp, barbarian slaughter it is. I'm going to modify the next vote.

Meanwhile SA got kinda half-unblocked? :cripes:

# ? Apr 6, 2016 16:56

marshmallow creep: Dec 10, 2008; I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

# ? Apr 6, 2016 23:43

Night10194: Feb 13, 2012; We'll start,
like many good things,
with a bear.

Well we are a CIA front according to Glen Beck.

# ? Apr 6, 2016 23:46

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Days 7, 8 and 9. Ichijo's feelings came with the letter.

Client satisfaction.

Letters:

quote:

probably mention something about it. These ninja are stronger than the average warrior. The Kenobi and Mosu ninja are fast on their feet, too. You might have a hard time even running away from them. If you're not sure of yourself, the best choice is probably to avoid mission where other ninja might be involved. At least that's what I think.

quote:

You know better than anyone that becoming confused in battle can cost you your life. The Mosu Ninja may appear to split in two, but it's merely an illusion. The false images should disappear if attacked. Hide and wait for the opportunity to strike.

Onji

quote:

Mission vote. The game laughs in my face as 3 missions out of 5 are barbarian murder, and one pits me against Akame's troops.

A:

quote:

As everyone knows, Dandala Peak is one of Amurita's most important transport routes. There's no way they'll leave it alone.

Use the skills that earned you the name, Crow, and kill them all. Nobody gets out alive.

I'm not sure if you are the one of the job, but give it everything you've got.

quote:

leader himself.

I know you are busy, but it is my duty to help protect the lives of my subjects. Plus, all of this trouble is leading to a decline in troop morale. We must do something about it.

Crow, go to Phantom Forest. Use your skills to kill the leader of the savages.

This may be a heavier load than you can carry. Well, anyway, do what you can.

quote:

Well, I'm not the kind of man to make a fuss about something like a document, and Mikawaya is apparently quite friendly with Akame. I wouldn't want to start anything by asking for my document back.

I need you go to Honcho Shimoyashiki where Mikawaya is and get my document back for me. By the way, I hear that Akame's men have also been seen in Honcho Shimoyashiki

Your mission won't be very difficult, but don't joke about.

quote:

I want you to coordinate with my subordinates in the elimination of Ichijo's troops. I know what must be done. Get all the men together and send those troops to hell!

So how about it? You can handle it, can't you?

quote:

Since you're Crow, this savage shouldn't be hard for you to dispatch, right? Go to Phantom Forest and kill him for me.

# ? Apr 7, 2016 22:40

EasilyConfused: Nov 21, 2009; one strong toad

And suddenly this game is way more interesting.

I vote C since we haven't seen that type before.

# ? Apr 7, 2016 23:52

radintorov: Feb 18, 2011

Going to vote C so that we see that mission type.
And it might also give us a chance to see Akame's upgraded troops in action. :v:

# ? Apr 7, 2016 23:59

Nyeehg: Jul 14, 2013; Grimey Drawer

Really loving this LP. Tenchu has always been a favourite for me so I have no idea how I never heard of this series. Nice to see a game where the ninja is a mercenary as opposed to a personal bodyguard/assassin. Thanks for showing it off!

On a related note, does anyone know if the psp/vita sequels are worth tracking down? If so do they spoil this game?

I'm guessing that the missions are split between story and randomly generated missions. Does the the game have a time limit (e.g. Must finish all story missions before day 100)? Or does the game just run indefinitely until you finish the story?

I'm gonna vote A since barbarians are scum and this will gain favour with Sadame without pissing off the other lords.

# ? Apr 8, 2016 23:32

KirbyKhan: Mar 20, 2009; I purchased and 100%'d Huniecam so quickly that I still get friends shaming me over it. And I deserve to be shamed. But I did not praise the game. I called it fucked up. That's how fucked up it is: it's up there with Princess Maker as far as poster body counts.; Soiled Meat

Nyeehg posted:

I'm gonna vote A since barbarians are scum and this will gain favour with Sadame without pissing off the other lords.

Honestly we arnt pissing off enough people. While I do love seeing those hopping mad barbarians get smile with glee as they get stealth killed, I am crazy curious to see what those new bows do. 1 vote for C

Edited because I cant get letters correct

KirbyKhan fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Apr 9, 2016

# ? Apr 9, 2016 02:31

marshmallow creep: Dec 10, 2008; I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

Yeah, C sounds good.

Also, I find it funny how one sister says "Can we go?" and then the other just stares into space for several seconds before the scene ends.

marshmallow creep fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Apr 9, 2016

# ? Apr 9, 2016 04:54

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

Nyeehg posted:

On a related note, does anyone know if the psp/vita sequels are worth tracking down? If so do they spoil this game?

PSP release - gently caress no. It doesn't have the campaign engine. At all. I'll record a bit of it later because it's a sequel, and I want to show just how much is missing there.

Not sure about the time limit. It's possible to ignore story missions for weeks.

# ? Apr 9, 2016 05:11

EasilyConfused: Nov 21, 2009; one strong toad

Lotish posted:

Also, I find it funny how one sister says "Can we go?" and then the other just stares into space for several seconds before the scene ends.

Yeah, that cutscene was really well done.

# ? Apr 9, 2016 16:00

Zanzibar Ham: Mar 17, 2009; You giving me the cold shoulder? How cruel.; Grimey Drawer

Is there a way to maybe join up with the Kenobi ninjas? The fat guy seems pretty chill.

# ? Apr 9, 2016 19:27

Night10194: Feb 13, 2012; We'll start,
like many good things,
with a bear.

Zanzibar Ham posted:

Is there a way to maybe join up with the Kenobi ninjas? The fat guy seems pretty chill.

I would play a sitcom game about dumb ninjas who keep accidentally messing everything up.

# ? Apr 10, 2016 00:11

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# ? May 16, 2025 22:16

SelenicMartian: Sep 14, 2013; Sometimes it's not the bomb that's retarded.

A
CCCC

Thievery it is, even though the vote for A comes from someone with a Moomin avatar. :kimchi:

Night10194 posted:

I would play a sitcom game about dumb ninjas who keep accidentally messing everything up.

Bear this wish in mind when we learn more about Goh.

# ? Apr 13, 2016 16:49

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